


How to Be a Princess

by anadipity



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Cats, Crossdressing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Demisexual Kozume Kenma, Fluff, Gay Kuroo Tetsurou, Happy Ending, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Sexual Content, Kenma has a twin sister for plot, Kenma has to pretend to be a princess, Kozume Kenma is So Done, Light Angst, Lime, M/M, Making Out, Mentioned Azumane Asahi, Mentioned Hinata Shouyou, Mutual Pining, My First Work in This Fandom, Naked Cuddling, Sharing a Bed, Strangers to Lovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, based on a tiktok, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:14:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24666691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anadipity/pseuds/anadipity
Summary: When Kenma's twin sister gets injured before she leaves to meet her fiance, Kenma has to take her place for the sake of his kingdom. Does he want to do this? No. Does he like wearing dresses? Maybe. Is he falling in love with the prince engaged to his sister? ....no comment.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 201





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a tiktok by @just.alex.ash
> 
> https://vm.tiktok.com/owdmHv/

The Northern and Southern kingdoms used to exist as one: Miyagi. But with time, cultural and political differences naturally created a divide into the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom, the border marked physically by the vast forest in the center of the Miyagi territory. There was no war or violence that interrupted the peace. Nothing that spurred any sort of malice between the two kingdoms. However, with the passing years, the two lands grew more and more distant, as their people interacted less and less. Fearful that this trend would continue until the two kingdoms would become nothing more than complete strangers, or possibly even enemies, the third generation of Northern and Southern monarchs made a deal. When the Southern royal family had a daughter, she would marry into the Northern kingdom family, symbolizing the introduction of new ideologies into the Northern kingdom. And this marriage would unite the two lands once more into the prosperous Miyagi, ruled under one royal family made from the union. It took many generations for there to be a Southern princess and a Northern prince at the same time, but eventually, after centuries of waiting....

“I’m bored!” Koma shouts, interrupting their daily history lesson.

Kenma looks at her, realizing that he hasn't been paying any attention to anything that the teacher has been saying. Not like it matters though. This topic is one that they review every single year, and after 18 years of hearing the story of how Koma would be the one to unite the Northern and Southern kingdoms.... Well, it just isn’t quite as riveting anymore. Kenma is extremely grateful that it’s his twin sister who’s going to be standing in the limelight of history, instead of himself, but if he’s not going to be leaving any memorable impacts on the world then why does he have to attend these classes too? He could be playing Creature Intersection right now but nooo. His father had thought that it would be good for his sister to have a school buddy. But instead of enrolling Koma’s best friend, Yachi, King Daichi had decided that ‘that might be too distracting’. And so...

Kenma sighs. For once, he agrees with Koma. This is all very uninteresting.

Professor Azumane whimpers, looking like he’s close to the verge of tears. For such a tough looking man, he’s surprisingly very soft. “You two are on the cusp of making history! Princess Koma is leaving for the Northern Kingdoms in just a few days. Isn’t this exciting?” he pleads. The blank looks that the twins give him is enough to answer that question. “Class is dismissed early today.” he at last yields, realizing that this would not play in his favor either way.

Koma cheers and jumps from her desk with a flourish, practically clicking her heels together. “Kenma, come on! Let’s go play basketball,” the 18-year old girl suggests as they walk out of the classroom together. Koma has always been the active and wild one, while Kenma is much more reserved and prefers to keep to himself. How on earth they’re related, much less twins, Kenma can never quite figure out.

“I’m going to play my game instead,” he responds, not really in the mood to go outside in the too hot sun, just to play a sweaty sport that he doesn’t even enjoy.

Koma runs up to him and tugs on his arm. “Come on!” she says, dragging him. With all of her exercising and working out, Koma is significantly stronger than Kenma. Plus with the help of the freshly waxed tiled floors, she manages to drag him a significant distance, before Kenma is finally able to get a strong grip on one of the many door frames lining the corridor, just as Koma is about to lead him onto this floor’s stair landing.

“I don’t want to,” he whines. Even though the season is about to change into winter by name, the Southern Kingdom is somehow always in some stage of eternal summer. No way is he going outside in this heat. Koma tugs and tugs, and Kenma is starting to get sore and tired from keeping his ground. Maybe he should just give in. His hands are already starting to sweat. He won’t be able to hold on for much longer anyways. Time to just get this over-

Koma lets go of his hand. Wait no. Her hand slips. Koma is slipping. She stumbles backwards, but isn’t able to catch her footing before falling down the stairs.

“Koma!” Kenma shouts. It feels like he’s watching in slow motion, able to do nothing but watch as his sister rolls down the grand staircase, before finally coming to a limp stop at the bottom of the steps. He runs down the staircase, careful to keep his balance while trying to reach his sister’s side as quickly as possible. She’s not moving. Is she even breathing?

“Help!”

* * *

Kenma curls himself into a ball outside of his sister’s room. It’s been two days since his sister broke her leg and sprained her neck from slipping down the stairs. He’s allowed inside until his sister wakes up, so he waits patiently in the hallway instead. Until he can see. Until he can verify with his own eyes that he didn’t kill his sister. Because if Koma dies, _he_ would be to blame. Why hadn’t he just agreed to play with her? Kenma would play basketball 24/7 for the rest of his life if that’s what it would take for his sister to wake up with a perfectly healthy body. _But too little, too late_ , Kenma thinks to himself for the upteenth time. 

Kenma sighs, and closes his eyes, sinking deeper into his frame.

He’s not sure how much time passes, but the next time his eyes flutter open, he hears a voice calling his name. He looks up, and it takes a few moments for him to realize that he’s looking at his father. Kenma can’t seem to get his voice to ask the question that burdens him. _Is she okay?_ Almost as if reading his mind, Daichi nods. “The doctor says she’ll be okay,” he explains. “She won’t be able to move for a few weeks, at least, and definitely won’t be able to travel in a few days. But she’ll be okay.” Kenma releases a sigh that he didn’t even realize he was holding. Daichi gives a gentle smile. “She’s awake, you know? And she’s been asking for you. It’s actually why I came to find you.” Daichi nods his head in the direction of his sister’s door. “Want to go see her?”

Kenma is already up and standing before Daichi can finish asking the question. He pauses as his hand takes hold of the door knob though. His dad places a hand on his shoulder, and gives a nod of support. Taking one last deep breath to still his nerves, Kenma opens the door.

Koma sits in her bed, propped up with pillows, and with braces around her leg and neck. She glances at the visitors from the corner of her eyes, unable to turn her head to face them. “Look who finally decided to show up,” she greets. Kenma breathes a sigh of relief. It seems that, at the very least, Koma’s attitude is still perfectly intact. “Where’s Yachi? I want to see Yachi,” she grumbles. If Kenma didn’t know his twin so well, he would have missed the slight sag of her shoulders, giving away her relief at seeing her brother.

“Yachi is helping to make your recovery soup,” Daichi explains. “She’ll be up soon.”

Kenma walks up to Koma’s bedside as the girl continues to mutter her complaints. “How are you feeling,” he asks, trying to keep his voice neutral - partly because if his voice wavers, tears will follow; partly because Koma hates pity more than nearly anything else.

“Dandy,” she scoffs. “Although, maybe you’ve done me a favor. Now instead of visiting some stupid prince, I can be tended by Yachi,” she says with her signature impish smile.

Daichi sighs from his spot, still standing by the door frame. He rubs his forehead. “I’m not sure how we’re going to explain this to King Ushijima. He’s a stickler for deadlines, but now we’re going to have to completely reschedule the wedding.”

“Sucks for him,” Koma responds, and Kenma knows that she would be shrugging right now if she could. “I’m pretty okay with this.” Daichi shakes his head, massaging his temples. Kenma can’t help but notice once again the gray strands that are growing amongst Daichi’s natural dark brown hair. Being a king must already be stressful, but especially when two kingdoms are about to be unified? Kenma can’t help but feel bad. This is just one more burden that his dad now has to take care of. Kenma turns to his twin, communicating with her through eye contact, silently pleading for her to say something that might help. Kenma was never very good with words, and Koma always speaks without thinking. Neither is ideal. Still, in this situation, it seems that she would be the better option. Suddenly, Koma gets that look in her face. The look she gets when she has a _terrible idea_. “It would be nice if someone could go in my place,” she says in a honeyed voice.

Daichi once again sighs. “Koma, you know that this visit is for you to meet your future husband.”

“I’m just saying. It doesn’t matter if I like him or not, or if he likes my personality. This is all for show. So really, he just needs to see me, right?”

Daichi furrows his brows, not sure where this is going. “Even if that were true - which I hope not because I would like if you at least got along with Prince Kuroo - you can’t even just pop your head in to say hello to him.”

Koma smiles wickedly. “What if he just saw someone who looks like me,” she replies coolly, glancing at her brother.

Kenma looks over at his father, who is already looking at him, the two staring at each other for a brief moment before turning back to Koma and in unison, shouting “no!”.

“Koma,” Daichi says in an exasperated tone, “I love you but this might be the worst idea you’ve ever had.” Kenma nods aggressively in agreement.

“Again, I’m just saying,” Koma repeats. “It doesn’t matter what I say while I’m there since I have to marry Kuroo no matter what. We just need someone who looks like me so that he can see my pretty face. Who better than my identical twin brother?” She bats her eyes innocently for extra effect, giving her dad the puppy eyed look that he has such a hard time saying no to. “I’m just trying to help, dad. This is really important isn’t it?” Daichi’s walls are visibly cracking. 

“If this were to happen,” Daichi responds, emphasizing that this is only a hypothetical question, “would you agree to do it, Kenma?”

Kenma gulps. Pretend to be a princess in the place of his sister? He almost immediately says no. But it is his fault that this is all happening in the first place. Isn’t this the very least he can do? Thinking of it that way, how can he say no without forever feeling guilty? Kenma looks up at his father. 

“Sure.”

* * *

Kenma sighs from his seat in the carriage heading to the Northern Kingdom. Honestly, why is he even riding a carriage? He could take a plane and be there in less than an hour. But nooo. According to his father, they have to keep with tradition, as a sign of respect towards the way too traditional culture of the North.

“And that means no video games either!” his father had scolded when Kenma had tried to pack his Vers gaming console into his luggage.

So now Kenma’s stuck in a cramped carriage, with no entertainment, and 3 hours left until their destination, where he’s going to be subjected to the utmost humiliation. 

Lev - his closest attendant, who’s accompanying Kenma on this trip - clears his throat, from his seated position across from the prince. Great. Now Kenma can’t even enjoy the silence of this trip, his one last source of comfort. “While we’re here,” Lev says, ignoring the glare directed towards him, “I think it would be a good idea to review the knowledge that you will be expected to know as a visiting prince- er, princess.” Lev hides his mouth behind his hand, feigning remorse at the slip-up, even though Kenma can see the persistent and poorly hidden grin on Lev’s face. “Now, for more details on this plan: accompanying us on this visit are a number of handmaidens, who will be dressing you to look convincingly feminine at a rest stop approximately 30 minutes from the palace. Most of the rules that you have learned as a prince are still applicable. However, a princess, especially in the Northern Kingdom, is expected to be a bit more silent and elegant. In short, to be seen and not heard.”

Kenma scoffs. “So not only do I have to pretend I’m someone I’m not so that I can get engaged to some random prince, but I have to do all of this while conforming to sexist ideals?”

“Exactly,” Lev responds, without even so much as batting an eyelash. His lip does quip into a small smirk though. “Think you can handle it, princess?”

The blond boy turns away. “Not like I’ll want to talk to him anyways.”

Lev continues with other bits of knowledge and etiquette that a princess should know, but Kenma really can’t find it in himself to care. This is all for formalities anyways. The marriage between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms is already arranged, and there’s practically nothing that could change that. He won’t talk to Prince Kuroo, and he’ll smile and wave when appropriate, but that’s it. All he can do in addition to that is pray that the next month of torture passes by as painlessly as possible.

* * *

At some point along the journey - while Lev is talking about how a princess should always place her right hand above her left upon her lap when sitting down - Kenma’s eyes close and he drifts off to sleep for an hour or so, he finally coming to when Lev alerts him that they are close to a rest stop. Very near to where this adventure is going to truly begin. This is where Kenma’s transformation would happen, in a secluded inn, where no one his secret would be kept. Arrangements for a private room had already been made, so there’s nothing to keep Kenma from procrastinating further. 

He dismounts the carriage, wearing a shapeless cloak that masks any recognizable features. Not that it seems to really matter, since the owner - a quiet man by the name of Kageyama - barely even glances at them as he hands over the keys to their room. 

Lev leads him and the rest of the party to the large room. It’s nothing fancy - just a bed, a breakfast table, and an ugly green rug - but Kenma is just so happy to be back on stable ground, away from the nature outside. He runs towards the bed, his lips nearly breaking into a smile, when Lev clears his throat. Kenma immediately comes to a stop, just a mere few steps from the mattress covered in frayed yellow blankets. Words aren’t needed in order for Kenma to know that he won’t be doing any form of resting while here. Kenma sighs, and turns until he’s standing to face Lev.

“Well?” Kenma asks, channeling as much annoyance as he can through that single word question.

The corners of Lev’s lips twitch slightly, but the attendant manages to keep a more-or-less straight face.

“First, we’re going to get you looking like a real princess.”

Kenma looks around and his eyes widen in horror. In the few minutes that he was sulking over his current misery, he failed to notice the maidservants preparing gowns and accessories. But just a glance at Lev tells him that there’s no escaping this. Kenma holds in a sigh, before rolling his shoulders back and heading over to select a dress. He can do this…right?

Nope, nope, nope. No he can not. Kenma gags as one of the maids pulls the corset around his ribs even more tightly, and oh dear, is that a crack he hears??!! 

“I can’t breathe,” Kenma gasps. He promises to himself to never take oxygen for granted ever again.

Lev smirks. “That corset does absolute wonders for your figure.” Kenma wants to glare, but it feels like even his eyes are about to burst from his circulation being cut off. “And apparently, for your attitude too.”

After a few more unbearably long minutes, the corset is finally all laced up, with a tight bow, and Kenma is ready to be fitted into a dark teal dress. He feels much more comfortable now that he’s properly covered, and even manages to spare a bit of his attention from panicking about his circulation to admiring the dress. It’s beautiful, and maybe Kenma would have been more appreciative of the fine embroidery and lace details if he weren’t doing all of this against his will. He turns to face the window in the room, as the maids make a few minor adjustments to the fit of the gown. He’s shocked to see his reflection. Kenma always had a naturally lithe figure, but it’s strange to see himself look...like this. He does feel kind of pretty in this dress. Even if he can’t breathe so well. And even if the lower parts of his body are a bit chilly.

One of the maids walks up to Lev to get his opinion. “Is it satisfactory, sir?” she asks with a bow.

Lev looks Kenma up and down with a cool gaze, his chin resting in the palm of his hand. Despite the stiff layers on his body, Kenma shivers slightly, feeling oddly bare from being analyzed so openly. It’s at times like this that remembers why Lev is even allowed to serve as his right-hand man.

“Better,” he responds. “But I’m worried it won’t be enough to tantalize a prince. The waistline is elegant, the corset helps with the poor posture-” Kenma bites back a rebuttal “- and I think makeup will help significantly. But I think at the moment your highness is looking rather...manly. Perhaps a rounder chest. Oh, and if we have any way of styling the hair, that would be tremendous.” Lev turns to face the door. “I’m going to grab a quick bite,” he explains. “Would you care for anything to eat Kenma?”

Kenma nods his head, still feeling uncomfortable with doing much more than breathing, but also recognizing that his energy is quickly approaching empty.

Lev smiles. “Perfect. It will be the perfect chance to practice table etiquette.”

This time, Kenma can’t help the groan that slips past his lips as Lev exits the room.

With nothing left to distract him, Kenma stares at the ceiling, hoping that he can eventually just blank out. Maybe even wake up in a few hours and realize that this has all all just been a bad dream.... 

* * *

The next few hours are a blur of tiny bites of food, learning the movements of a princess, and putting the finishing touches on ‘Princess Koma. 

“Shoulders back, and stand up tall,” Lev instructs. “And don’t walk, but try to float.”

They’re currently practicing the seemingly effortless glide that every princess should know. The oh so dainty steps that somehow require Kenma to look like he’s not trying very hard to walk stick straight yet with a feminine sashe, and all while keeping the oranges at his chest from falling.

“This feels ridiculous,” Kenma mutters to himself, but nevertheless he straightens his posture just a bit more and tries again.

Lev assesses Kenma’s movements with a cool gaze, before giving a nod. “It’ll do.” Lev glances at the clock hanging on the wall. “It has to since we don’t have any time left.”

Kenma gulps. It’s time.

Before leaving, the maids dust his face with a little more light brush, and freshen up the curls of his hair extensions. Lev has a mirror brought in so Kenma can see himself, see how others will view him from now on. The maidservants did a good job. He looks...female. But it doesn’t feel right to Kenma. This isn’t who he wants to be, pretending to be someone else. Pretending to be his sister. Pretending to not be a man. And all those thoughts are somehow eclipsed by a pressing guilt that he doesn’t entirely mind what he sees in the mirror. That he actually quite likes how he looks in a dress, with a neat little bow tied around his neck, and light makeup accentuating his facial features.

But if he’s being forced to do this then...Kenma is going to take solace in the tiniest bit of comfort that this dress provides him, while it simultaneously gives him an endless stream of discomforts.

“Let’s go,” Lev says with finality in his voice.

Kenma nods, silently following along. This is where the hard part really starts.


	2. Chapter 2

The last half hour of the trip to the Northern Kingdom seems to fly by much too quickly. Even the sun seems to be setting more quickly than usual. And yet, to Kenma, that half hour passes painfully slowly. It’s half an hour spent entirely with thoughts about what the next few weeks of his life will look like. At long last, or perhaps all too quickly, they arrive at the palace of the Northern Kingdom. 

It’s happening. This is really happening.

Kenma prepares to exit the carriage, before remembering that as a princess, he shouldn’t just jump out (especially not with his breast enhancements being so precarious). Kenma grabs the hand of a waiting guard, daintily lowering himself down to the ground.

 _Float_ , he carefully reminds himself. Escorted by two guards and Lev, Kenma makes his way to the entrance of the palace. It’s much chillier this far up north, but somehow, the gardens are still in bloom. Kenma wants to pause to look more closely at a butterfly resting upon a leaf of a carnation flower, but he has to keep moving. He climbs up the smooth steps, up to the tall bronze doors, which open up into a large entryway. Kenma is certainly no stranger to fancy castles, but even he can’t hold in a gasp at how beautiful the Northern palace is. The walls and decor are all made of marble and bronze, accented by dark and rich reds. Where the Southern palace is lavishly decorated, this decor is so sleek and minimalist that it screams wealth. And yet, at the same time, it feels almost...empty. Everything sort of blends together and Kenma can’t help but feel intimidated. Where are the bustling servants? The sounds of life? It’s almost eerie...

Kenma is brought back to his current situation by a voice announcing his sister’s....no, ‘his’ name.

“Presenting, Princess Koma, of the Southern Kingdom.”

Kenma gives a deep curtsy, as he had practiced. He completely blanked out on the introductions of the royal family as the names were called, but he easily guesses who is who. The old man to the left must be King Ushijima, a tall, robust man with dark hair and a clean shaven face. His expression is serious, with a no-play attitude written all over his body. To his right stands Queen Kiyoko, one of the most beautiful women Kenma had ever seen, with her black hair and nicely placed mole just below her lips. And finally, a young man who can only be Prince Kuroo. Kenma had to admit that the prince is quite handsome. Tall (almost as tall as Lev), and with a carefree aura about him. His hands are stuffed into his pocket and his stance is so laid back that Kenma almost thinks he has an invisible seat to support his languid position.

Kuroo’s eyes shift away from whatever he was staring at, as he makes eye contact with Kenma’s amber ones. At first, there’s an unreadable gaze in those eyes; a gaze that seems to see through all of Kenma, through all of his most personal secrets. The expression quickly morphs into a mischievous smile though. It doesn’t help Kenma to feel any bit less like a prey.

“Sir Lev,” King Ushijima call suddenly, snapping Kenma’s attention away from the Northern Prince. “Should we make our way to dinner? I’m sure you must have had an exhausting journey.”

Lev bows, low at the waist. “We would be honored, your majesty.”

They follow the family into a large dining room. Kenma takes a seat beside Queen Kiyoko, making sure to keep in mind all the etiquette he was taught in the past couple of hours. It’s a fairly quiet meal. No one really talks except for the men at the table. Well, the not-pretending-to-be-a-woman men at the table. Kenma is asked no questions, although questions about him are directed towards Lev. The Southern boy barely notices the lack of attention towards him though, too busy making sure that the bites he takes of his meal aren’t too large. Oh, and also doing his best to avoid looking at Prince Kuroo who’s sitting across the table from him. Kenma can feel the Northern prince’s gaze upon him. Kuroo feels so.... Kenma can’t quite describe it. Like a predator. No, wait, that sounds wrong. What he means is that around Kuroo, he feels really vulnerable and open. Kenma shakes his head, no, he’s just being paranoid. This is a safe trip to visit his sister’s future husband. It’ll be okay as long as he _doesn’t fuck up_. He stuffs another tiny morsel of food into his mouth to keep the anxious thoughts at bay.

* * *

Once everyone finishes eating, Ushijima decides that it’s a good idea to provide Kenma with a tour of the palace.

“Your majesty,” Lev speaks up. “I’m sorry, but I do have some urgent news that I wish to discuss with you, if that’s okay.”

Ushijima nods. “That’s fine with me, but-” he looks over at Kenma with a gentle expression, “I would feel bad if I kept the young princess waiting.” Kenma almost speaks up to say that he would be fine with just a servant, but remembers just in time that he should really avoid speaking, if possible.

“I can give her a tour.” Kuroo says, speaking for the first time since Kenma’s arrival. His voice almost sounds like a purr, deep and smooth. Kuroo turns his eyes towards Kenma. “If the princess wouldn’t mind a walk with her fiance.” Kenma feels his cheeks become warm. What...what is this feeling? Shyness, maybe? Kenma has always disliked being the center of attention (an unfortunate trait for royalty). Kenma quickly realizes that people were waiting for a response, and so he silently nods, not left with much other choice.

“Make sure you two behave,” Ushijima warns, although his piercing gaze is very obviously directed at Kuroo. Kenma wonders what one on earth has he gotten himself thrown into, and why it feels like he’s a mouse about to be left alone with a cat ready to pounce.

* * *

Kenma follows along behind Kuroo quietly, hoping that somehow if he wills himself to become invisible, it’ll magically happen. Kuroo continues to give the tour, but Kenma honestly can’t focus on anything the tall man is saying. Something about the location of the bathroom, art room, etc.

“And this is the game room,” Kuroo announces.

Kenma immediately perks up, taking note of the door Kuroo motions towards, pausing in front of. He heard correctly, right? Kuroo had definitely said game room. Video games? Were there video games? Kenma reaches towards the handle.

“Oh, something finally caught your interest,” Kuroo notices. “You like games?” Wait, what’s Kenma supposed to say? Koma doesn’t like video games very much; she prefers to spend her time outside. So Kenma should lie and say no. But if there are video games behind this door, his life would be so much easier for the next month. He glances at Kuroo, who’s still staring at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. Kenma decides to play it safe and shakes his head no. _Goodbye, joy_ , he thinks, bidding a sad farewell to any possible happiness during this visit.

“Is there anything particular that you like for entertainment? We have a lot of dedicated rooms for different hobbies.”

Kenma shakes his head again. Is this going to become his answer to every question posed to him?

“I don’t mean to pry, princess, but do you speak at all?”

Kenma almost shakes his head again, before realizing. Should he nod? No, he’s starting to become suspicious. He has to speak. Okay, just like he had practiced with Lev.

“I do,” Kenma says in an octave higher than usual, at last providing a verbal response to the prince.

Kuroo gives a satisfied smile. “Excellent. So what do you do for fun?”

Koma would have responded eagerly with all the sports she enjoyed playing, but Kenma absolutely refuses to pretend to like any form of exercise during his visit here. Quick, do he and Koma share any interests? Or is there at least one interest she likes that he doesn’t absolutely abhor?

“I like playing with animals,” Kuroo responds hesitantly. He doesn’t, not really. While Koma is great with them, Kenma is pretty bad with animals. But that also means that animals tend to avoid him, so he can at least be in the same room as them without issue...most of the time.

Kuroo gasps with a too big smile, as if Kenma just so happened to pick his absolute favorite topic. “We have lots of animals here.” _Shit_. “But my favorite is my kitty.” The way Kuroo says kitty…. Kenma feels his stomach stir in an unfamiliar way. Is he getting sick? He wouldn’t be surprised honestly, given his luck this past week. “Her name is Draco.” That’s actually kind of cute. “It’s short for Lord Draconia the Slaying Knight.” Kenma can’t help the small laugh that escapes his mouth. Kuroo pouts, in fake upset. “Hey, I spent a lot of time choosing that name when I was 7. Don’t make fun of it.”

“Sorry,” Kenma replies.

Kuroo’s suave smile returns to his face. “Come on. I’m sure you’ll love her.”

Realizing that he’s backed into a corner, Kenma nods and follows along.

Kuroo leads them through a series of twists and turns, until they finally reach one of the many identical doors. In Kenma’s palace, every door is differentiable, either by a special plaque or unique markings that have been carved over the many generations of children who have lived there. How Kuroo is somehow able to tell any of these rooms apart without help, Kenma just can’t quite understand. Kenma also can’t understand why on earth a cat needs an entire room to itself. He soon finds out when Kuroo opens the door with a flourish. It’s ridiculous. The walls are covered with connecting shelves for a cat to walk along, toys littering the floor, and shelves laden with various cat treats. Kenma has yet to meet this kitten, but one thing is blatantly obvious. This cat is absolutely spoiled. 

“Draco~” Kuroo calls out in a singsong tone.

Kenma isn’t sure what he’s expecting, but it is _not_ a tiny ball of soot. Kuroo crouches down and reaches his hand out towards the kitten, who clumsily walks towards him with excitement. The kitten isn’t too large - a little larger than the width of two palms - but she’s adorable nonetheless. He picks up the cat, stroking her head lightly, receiving purrs of approval in response.“Say hi to Koma”. Suddenly both the kitten and Kuroo are standing right in front of him. Kenma steps back as a reflex, remembering the time he had tried to help a cat down from a tree, and gotten scratched instead. He still has a small scar on his arm from that day.

Kuroo cocks his head, visibly confused by the blond boy’s reaction. “Do you not want to pet her?” Kuroo asks.

“It’s not that,” Kenma replies, trying to quickly come up with an excuse. Before he can, though, Kuroo holds out Draco a bit closer to him.

“She’s really sweet. I promise.” The tone of Kuroo’s voice is...almost gentle. Kenma gives a brief glance towards the prince before finally reaching out his hand to lightly pet Draco’s head. The kitten’s fur is very soft, and despite the brevity of his touch, the kitten purrs. It’s a bit odd. The kitten’s fur is so soft, and so poofy. Kenma can’t help but notice the resemblance between the pet and her owner. He swallows down a chuckle before it can escape. 

Kenma begins to pull his hand away, but before he can fully withdraw it, the kitten mews and bumps her head against Kenma’s fingers, requesting more pets. “I think she likes you~” Kuroo teases. His face quickly softens though. “Do you want to hold her? I don’t offer to let just anyone hold Lord Draconia the Slaying Knight.” It’s strange how easily Kuroo is already able to make Kenma want to laugh, despite the two having known each other for less than a couple of hours.

Kenma gives a small nod in reply, seeing no harm in holding the adorable cat for just a short while. Kuroo carefully transfers the kitten into Kenma’s arms. Draco purrs, settling herself into her new makeshift bed. Kenma has to admit, this isn’t too bad. Maybe he can be an animal person one day. Or at the very least a cat person….

The area around his abdomen suddenly feels wet. Is he sweating? Or did he spill something? Kenma looks down, and… Oh. Now he remembers why he always avoids animals.

Kuroo quickly snatches Draco away. “Draco! I thought we discussed using a litter box?” he scolds. Draco looks over at Kuroo innocently, wriggling in the prince’s hand to try to escape such an unjust imprisonment. Kuroo tries to look fierce, but he’s clearly weak to the biddings and desires of this kitten, eventually giving up and setting Draco down so that she can skimper off to do some other sort of deviosity. Kenma watches all this happen, but mentally, he’s somewhere else. Somewhere where this can’t possibly be happening. Where he can’t possibly have gotten peed on by the castle cat within his first few hours at the Northern palace. “I’m sorry,” Kuroo apologizes to Kenma, as he rubs the back of his pitch black hair. “I really thought we had finished training her.” Kenma’s mind is still running at a rate of a thousand words per second, and all he can do is stare at the slowly drying patch of wetness on his dress. Kuroo’s apology might as well have fallen on deaf ears. Kuroo sighs. “Come on, princess,” he says. “Let’s get you to your room and I’ll get one of your maids to come help you clean up.” Still mostly paralyzed, Kenma allows himself to be guided to where he’ll hopefully be safe. This visit is off to a great start….

* * *

After that day, Kenma hopes that he’ll be able to avoid Kuroo. He plans to keep to himself, spending his time in his bedroom, except to dine with the Northern family for meals. Sure, it might be lonely - especially since he doesn't even have the handmaidens to interact with, since he firmly decided to get dressed by himself everyday. And sure, all this means that he’ll be bored to death for the rest of his visit. But it’s a sacrifice that he’s willing to make to avoid having to interact with anyone. Especially with Kuroo.

Kuroo who’s currently banging on his door right now….

“Good morning Princess Koma~” he hears Kuroo practically singing. “Won’t you come on a post-breakfast stroll with me?”

Going outside? Into nature? With Kuroo? The man who’s already gotten him into one fiasco? Kenma shivers at the thought, bringing his knees to his chest. Maybe if he just ignores Kuroo for long enough, he’ll finally be able to enjoy the silence of his room. After a few minutes, Kuroo finally stops knocking on the door. Is he gone? Kenma breathes a sigh of relief, which becomes all too quickly caught in his throat as he once again hears Kuroo talking to him through the door.

“If you’re not in the mood for a walk, would you prefer to play a video game with me, princess?” He can practically hear the sly smile in Kuroo’s voice. Kuroo has just placed a tantalizingly sweet bait in front of Kenma, just waiting for it to be snatched. Kenma feels his resolve weaken. Video games would make this trip _so_ much more bearable, maybe even enjoyable. But Koma doesn’t like video games… Ooh, but if he just pretends to lose interest a few days before leaving, then it won’t look suspicious at all when the real Koma arrives without any interest in gaming. Kenma almost smiles. Even if it means having to hang out with Kuroo for today, after today, he’ll be able to slip off to the game room by himself without arousing any suspicion.

Kenma finally rises from his bed and makes his way to the door. Opening it a crack, just enough to see Kuroo who’s standing right there. Kenma feels his tiny bit of confidence falter. Kuroo really is quite tall, and is towering over Kenma. Almost as if realizing that he might seem intimidating, Kuroo steps back, providing some much needed space. It’s enough.

“I’d like that,” Kenma at last responds, softly.

Kuroo grins and begins to walk down the hallway, glancing back at Kenma after a couple of steps. “Coming, princess?” Kenma takes one more calming breath before he follows. Kuroo leads him down the twisting corridors of the palace, once again, but this time, Kenma pays careful attention to which turns they take. If there’s anything he has to remember during his time here, this is it: how to get from his bedroom to the gaming room. Kuroo stops in front of one of the doors (door #10 on the right, Kenma notes), before grabbing its handle, as he glances at Kenma over his shoulder. “This is it.” 

Kuroo barely even opened the door by the time Kenma slips his slim frame through the crack. The blond gasps. This is...this is heaven!There are full gaming consoles, old-style arcade games, and even some newer systems that Kenma has never seen before.

“My family owns a few game companies in the North so we even have some things that aren’t on the market yet,” Kuroo explains. He motions towards the different corners of the room. “Board games are over there, extra controllers are in that drawer, and there’s a snack bar right over here. Though you can always call room service if there’s anything in particular that you want.”

Kenma vaguely hears the words coming out of Kuroo’s mouth, but they’re, for the most part, completely tuned out as the blond prince looks at the room in wonder. This is more than he could have ever hoped for. Kenma quickly runs up to the tv with game consoles plugged in, picking up a Vers so that he can log into his account and continue one of his games from where he had previously had to leave off.

“Oh, you know this game?” Kuroo asks.

“Yeah! It’s one of my favorites!” Kenma responds excitedly, but the excitement quickly fades when he turns and sees Kuroo’s raised eyebrow.

“I thought you didn’t like games.”

 _Shit_. “Ah, I- I thought you meant board games like chess and checkers,” Kenma responds quickly and with a much too energized voice. But thankfully Kuroo seems to accept the answer without any visible suspicion. The two sit in comfortable silence after that, Kenma fully engrossed in his game, while Kuroo provides entertaining commentary. They completely lose track of time before Kenma checks the time after finishing a round. He’s surprised to see that it’s already late into the afternoon. His stomach growls. Loudly.

“Hungry?” Kuroo asks. Kenma feels his face flush, feeling like his stomach has somehow betrayed him. “Wanna grab a bite to eat?”

Kenma shakes his head. There isn’t much time left before dinner, and he doesn’t want to spoil his appetite, lest he comes off as rude when dining with the Northern family. Kuroo reaches out his hand, offering an orange. Kenma looks at it curiously, and then glances over at the snack station, which is filled with chips, candy, sodas...but nothing even remotely healthy. “Where did you get that from?” Kenma asks. He didn’t notice if Kuroo had left the room at some point.

Kuroo cocks his head. “You dropped these on your way in. They fell out of your dress.”

Kenma immediately glances down at his chest, where there’s indeed an awkward gap where his oranges had previously been. Kenma smiles as naturally as he could, which is, at this moment, not natural at all. The small smirk on Kuroo’s face doesn’t help to relieve any of the cringe awkwardness that he’s feeling. Kenma lets out a laugh that he hopes didn’t sound too suspicious.

“Oh, I- uh, I have a flat chest. So I was trying to look a bit fuller.” It’s not a lie, so to speak, but Kenma can’t say it with convincing confidence. Thankfully though, Kuroo merely raises an eyebrow and shrugs.

“I don’t care much about those sorts of things,” he responds simply. A grin returns to his face. “So do you want to eat this or nah?”

Kenma nods. In truth, he’s actually a little grateful that he doesn’t have to deal with arranging the fruit into his top every morning anymore, or protect them from falling whenever he so much as shifts positions. “Yeah,” he answers, “I’ll take one.” 

* * *

Somehow, and not entirely willingly, Kenma and Kuroo end up hanging out together frequently. Typically it’s playing games, together, although Kuroo does occasionally manage to convince a begrudging Kenma to try something else for a change of pace. Like when they baked cookies together (Kenma had gotten hit in the face by dough), or played volleyball together (Kenma had gotten hit in the face by the ball). Needless to say, most of these “mini adventures”, as Kuroo calls them, end in absolute disasters. And yet somehow, Kenma always gets roped into Kuroo’s next scheme.

Today, it’s going into the city to buy Draco a new toy.

“Why can’t we just buy this online,” Kenma grumbles once again. 

“Because you’ve been cooped inside for way too long,” Kuroo nags. Kenma scoffs. There’s a reason for that. It’s chilly outside. Plus, Kuroo wants to walk to the city for “some good ol’ exercise” instead of taking a more convenient and _warmer_ mode of transportation. The last time they’d gotten “some good ol’ exercise”, Kenma had gotten hit in the face by a frisbee. Why do these adventures always end with him receiving damage to his visage? And yet, for some reason, Kenma can never find it in himself to say no to hanging out with Kuroo. The one time he did manage to convince Kuroo to leave him alone, Kenma had spent the whole day feeling as if something were missing. It’s a bit concerning how attached he’s getting to the older man.

Kenma glances at Kuroo from the corner of his eyes. Yes, Kuroo is handsome, with his deep black hair, defined face, and dark brown eyes that always seem to be twinkling with some sort of mischief. But Kenma has seen a number of conventionally attractive men and women, but has never really given any of them a second thought. With Kuroo, it’s different somehow. And just knowing that frightens Kenma. He’s scared to explore these feelings any further. They can’t possibly lead anywhere good. The blond boy does his best to suppress these thoughts, refusing to give them any more room to breathe.

He’s brought out of his ponderings by Kuroo’s excited voice announcing that they’ve finally arrived. Kenma hadn’t even noticed that they’re now in the center of the city, but once he’s brought back, stimuli hit all five of his senses at once.The Northern Kingdom’s capital city is a bit smaller than the South’s, but it’s still every bit as impressive. Modern glass skyscrapers juxtaposed with buildings that still keep their centuries old architecture. Kenma notices familiar chain stores, but also some new shops that he’s never heard of before. Plus, he can smell the scent of warm food, as he now remembers that this city is a hub for lots of traditional foods. Despite the loud bustling crowds of people, Kenma feels his excitement grow. Maybe this will be fun... 

“Come on,” Kuroo encourages eagerly, grabbing Kenma’s hand and leading him to who knows where. Kenma so rarely goes outside that he can’t help but look in awe at every store they pass. Kuroo notices, with a smile. “Let me know if you want anything,” he offers.

Kenma nods noncommittally. He looks around, wondering if he should buy something for his sister, wondering what kind of souvenir she might like. He walks in silence beside Kuroo, noting that their hands are still interlaced together. He doesn’t complain though. _This is what couples do_ , he justifies to himself, trying hard to ignore the part of him that’s enjoying the warmth of Kuroo’s hand in his own. As he passes by a store, he notices a hair tie with the Northern Kingdom’s colors, white and dark red. He’s sure that Koma would like it, and she could probably use it to keep her hair out of her face while playing sports.

“Do you want it?” Kuroo asks, following Kenma’s gaze to the headband.

“I was thinking of buying it for my sister,” Kenma explains.

Kuroo turns to look at Kenma, cocking his head in confusion. “I didn’t know the Southern Kingdom had two princesses,” he notes. It’s a statement, but there’s very clearly a question in those words. A question that makes Kenma realize that he has, once again, severely screwed up.

“Sister? I meant brother. My brother likes hair bands…” This is a train wreck. Thankfully, Kuroo merely gives a disbelieving hum, otherwise dropping the matter. Kenma would have breathed a sigh of relief if he wasn’t so busy mentally kicking himself.

“D-do you have any siblings,” Kenma asks, cringing at how awkward he sounds.

Kuroo gives a fond smile. “Yeah. I have a little brother. His name is Shoyo.” Kenma vaguely recognizes the name, from hearing it on some tabloid channel on tv talking about the son of King Ushijima and his second wife, Kiyoko, a former commoner of the South. Kenma hadn’t paid much attention to it then, not caring much about royal gossip, even as a kid.

“He’s your step-brother, right?” Kenma asks.

Kuroo shrugs. “I guess. I’ve known him his whole life though, so it never feels like we’re anything other than just brothers.” The older man smiles brightly. “I think you’d like him. He’s abroad at school right now, which is why you haven’t met him yet,” Kuroo continues, “but I really think you’d like him.”

Kenma nods, unsure how much more affection he can spare for another person, but he’s willing to make an effort anyways since Kuroo sounds so fond of his sibling. And just like nearly everything else Kuroo requests of him, Kenma doubts he’d be able say no. 

“I guess I’ll meet him at the wedding?” Kenma asks. Not a lie. Just a reminder of the sad future Kenma is actively creating for himself. But he can ignore the future for now. If Kuroo just smiles at him like this until the Southern prince has to return home, then Kenma would blissfully ignore everything else.

The rest of the day is otherwise fairly uneventful. Kenma once again loses himself in admiring the city, eventually forgetting his earlier slip up. They eat and explore and browse the various shops, until Kenma’s stomach is full and his energy is pleasantly exhausted, at last ready to head back. As the two walk towards the palace, Kenma realizes that they had forgotten something.

“Did you find the toy you wanted to get Draco,” Kenma turns to ask Kuroo. He’s surprised to see a light blush grace Kuroo’s sharp features.

“I guess I forgot,” Kuroo mumbles.

Kenma doesn’t quite believe those words, and considers pressing more for an honest answer, but he does kind of owe Kuroo a solid for dropping his earlier slip up without question. Besides, whether or not Draco gets a new toy, Kenma can’t really bring himself to care. Today was fun, though Kenma would never admit it out loud to Kuroo, lest he provide the mischievous man with an argument for convincing Kenma to adventure more often in the future. _In the future_. There isn’t too much more of this future left, Kenma realizes sadly. He’ll miss this, whatever “this” is. “This” is nice.

They finally reach the castle, and are let in through security without any problems. As they pass through the gates, Kuroo tugs on Kenma’s arms.

“Wait, before we go in, follow me.”

Curious, and a bit too tired to argue, Kenma follows Kuroo without any questions.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Implied smut happens in this chapter

After a day spent walking around the city, Kuroo leads Kenma to the palace gardens. It isn’t Kenma’s first time here, but the trees and flowers somehow feel different under the cool tone of the night sky.

Kuroo walks towards the fountain in the center of the garden, sitting down on its edge. Kenma follows, relieved to finally be able to take the weight off of his now sore feet. Sitting like this, next to Kuroo under the moonlight with nothing but the sound of the bubbling water and the night’s breeze filling the air, Kenma can’t help but feel like this is awfully romantic. He’s a bit surprised to find that he doesn’t mind that thought. That he actually finds joy in it all. In how Kuroo is sitting so close next to him. In the sound of the water flowing behind them. In the cool air of the winter's night that causes his cheeks to flush. Yeah, that’s what’s making him flush. Not this atmosphere. And definitely not the fact that he can feel Kuroo staring at him.

Kenma looks away towards his other side. “It’s rude to stare, you know,” he mutters.

Kuroo laughs softly. “Sorry,” he says, without an ounce of remorse in his tone. Kenma continues to stare with feigned interest at a rock by his foot. “Did you enjoy today’s little date?” Kuroo asks casually.

D-date? Kenma must have misheard. Or maybe Kuroo’s referring to the calendar date. The 17th of January is an awfully good date, right? 

Kenma jumps as Kuroo’s fingertips brush against his hand, and he turns quickly to look at what on earth this man is doing, and…. Oh. Kuroo’s face is really close. And Kuroo is really handsome. _I like him_. No, no. Koma is supposed to marry Kuroo. Not him. Kuroo’s eyes look down at Kenma’s lips, before slowly looking back to meet Kenma’s eyes. “I’m going to kiss you, princess.” Kenma doesn’t even have the chance to respond before Kuroo closes the gap between them, introducing their lips to each other at last.

 _I should push him away_ . But his body just won’t listen to him. Because he wants this so badly. A want unlike any he’s ever known before. _I like him_ , Kenma thinks again, ignoring the pang of guilt as he sinks deeper into the kiss. _So much_.

The kiss ends all too quickly, in Kenma’s opinion, as the two men break apart to breathe, their panting breaths made visible by the cold January air. Looking into Kuroo’s eyes, Kenma feels vulnerable and open. Like if he stays here any longer, all of his secrets are going to spill out for Kuroo to see.

“I guess we should go back inside,” Kenma suggests, beginning to rise to his feet. Kuroo grabs his hand, stopping him before he can even stand.

Kuroo just stares at him, and Kenma once again feels shy. Seeming to realize this, Kuroo lets go of the younger’s hands, clasping his own on top of his lap. “I like you.” Kenma nearly flinches, surprised. The feeling of surprise is quickly replaced by hurt and envy though. Because Kuroo doesn’t like Kenma. He likes Koma. Koma’s the one who’s marrying this man in just two weeks. Not him. Kenma stares down at his hands, which at some point during the past few moments have balled into fists around the cloth of his dress. Part of him wants to speak, but what can he possibly say in reply? 

When Kuroo doesn’t get a response from Kenma, he continues. “I never thought that I would ever like a girl.” Kuroo admits. He turns his head, leaning forward a bit so that he can see Kenma’s face through the blond tips of his bangs, as Kenma continues to stare intently at his own hands. “But you’re not a girl, now are you?”

_“You’re not a girl, now are you?”_

Kenma freezes. All questions about Kuroo’s and his own sexualities come to an immediate halt as his brain frantically tries to come up with a plan for damage control. What does he do? _What is he supposed to do_? How does Kuroo know? Who else knows? Most importantly, how does Kenma respond to this absolute disaster?

“I suppose I am a woman now,” Kenma tries to speak nonchalantly. It doesn’t take long to tell that Kuroo is not even going to entertain that response. But Kenma has no other choice. He can’t just blurt out that he’s actually a prince who’s here instead of his sister and that he’s been lying - or at least _trying_ to lie - to Kuroo and the entire rest of the kingdom for the past month! But looking at the hurt look on Kuroo’s face, Kenma can’t find it inside him to keep playing dumb. He sighs, clenching his eyes shut so that he can block out the world for just a little bit. He can’t afford to have a panic attack right now, he can’t, he can’t. 

“How long have you known?” Kenma asks, dropping all pretenses. He cringes silently at how squeaky his voice sounds, even though he’s no longer trying to speak in his female tone.

“Since your cherries fell out.” Kenma’s eyes snap open. The corner of Kuroo’s lip quirk upwards. “Or I suppose they were oranges, in your case.”

Kenma’s bottom lip juts out in a pout, as he thinks back to that day when Kuroo had first introduced him to the game room. “I really thought I managed to cover that up well,” he replies meekly.

Kuroo laughs loudly. “I’m afraid not, princess.”

Kenma takes in a deep breath, his legs shaking uncontrollably in an unsuccessful attempt to release some of the energy overflowing inside of him. “Who else knows?”

“As far as I know, no one.” Kenma breathes a sigh of relief. A small bit of the tension is released from his shoulders at this bit of good news. But there’s still so much now weighing upon him. It feels like too much. “Hey.” Kuroo’s voice is soft, lowered to convey a gentleness that somehow clears some of the fog in Kenma’s mind. The blond prince turns his head slowly, looking back at Kuroo’s face with shyness. “I won’t tell anyone, so don’t worry about that, okay?” Kenma nods. He can trust Kuroo. He knows that much.

The boy in the dress sighs, gathering his strength to ask a still unresolved question. “Can I ask you something?”

“You just did.” Kenma gives Kuroo his most deadpanned face, thoroughly unimpressed by such a bad joke at this time. Kuroo simply gives one of his shit-eating grins in response. Sighing, Kenma continues, pretending that the older boy had simply not said anything at all. “If you’ve known for so long, then why are you just telling me now? The…orange thing…that happened within the first week of me being here.”

Kuroo shrugs. “I didn’t want you to avoid me...” Kuroo almost looks shy for a brief moment, but quickly re-gathers himself. “Is Koma your real name,” he asks suddenly.

Somehow it feels like telling Kuroo this bit of information would give away the last bit of this secret that Kenma still has. The secret that’s quickly slipping through his fingers, out into the open. But to be honest, Kenma has been growing tired of keeping things secret like this. Remembering all the times he wished he could just be himself around Kuroo, wishing that Kuroo could see him for who he really is, without having to hide anything. As a boy who likes video games, and wearing dresses, and….who likes Kuroo too.

“Kenma.” It’s almost a whisper.

“Kenma,” Kuroo repeats softly. It feels so good to hear his name said aloud for the first time in so long. Especially when it’s spoken by such a rich and deep voice. “Kenma, can I kiss you again?”

The tiniest of nods is his response. The two men spend the rest of the evening tasting each other’s lips. Softly. Gently. The secrets that once stood between them are now being replaced with breathless gasps, quiet moans, and the cool breeze of the winter night.

* * *

Kenma feels much calmer now that he’s had a warm bath and is dressed in his nightgown. He has to admit that even if he’s given a choice, he’s not entirely willing to part with wearing dresses just yet. He probably won’t get the chance to wear them again after he returns home.

 _Home_.

He has to leave soon. And after finally realizing that his unrequited affection for Kuroo isn’t unrequited after all, the thought of leaving makes him a bit sad. How funny. Kenma remembers when he wished to no end that he could just leave the Northern Kingdom. And now… Well, he still has a little over a week left, doesn’t he? There’s no point in making himself sad when he still has a bit of time left here.

Kenma begins to brush his hair, enjoying the weightlessness of his naturally jaw-length hair. The extensions are one thing about this whole ordeal that he _definitely_ is not going to miss. At last, he finally brushes out the last of the tangles out from his hair. Now it’s time for a bit of gaming before finally heading off to sleep. Even though he does this every night, Kenma always gets the same giddy feeling about his quiet time before bed. As he gets up to turn off the overhead lights, he hears a knock at the door. Who would be visiting so late?

“Yes?” Kenma calls out in his female voice. Though he quickly mentally kicks himself. He should have just stayed silent, pretending to be asleep instead. Hopefully he won’t have to leave his room at this hour. Without his corset, makeup, or long hair, Kenma fears what might happen if someone sees him…

“Oh princess,” a familiar voice greets.

Kenma groans. He _just_ saw Kuroo less than an hour ago. What does he want now? Kenma walks to the door and opens it the tiniest bit, raising an eyebrow to silently ask why on earth Kuroo is standing outside his door after midnight. Kuroo smiles, slipping through the small opening into Kenma’s room.

“What are you doing,” Kenma whispers sharply, quickly shutting his door so that he can speak in his normal voice.

Kuroo pouts with a pleading expression. “I wanted to see you,” he whines.

Kenma doesn’t so much as bat an eyelash. “Okay, you’ve seen me. Goodbye.”

“Oh hush,” Kuroo responds as he walks over to Kenma’s bed and lies down. Kenma makes a string of incoherent noises, feeling flustered and unsure of how to get this man out of his room. Kuroo scoffs. “I’m just here to hang out,” he says, as if Kenma is being ridiculous for thinking that Kuroo could possibly have had any other motives. “You won’t even know I’m here.”

Kenma sighs but eventually yields, knowing that it’s better to just go along with Kuroo’s antics. He turns on his bedside light so that he can turn off the light, before lying down in his bed as far away from Kuroo as possible. Kenma picks up his gaming console and begins to lose himself in his virtual world. However he’s soon distracted by a sudden warmth behind him. Kenma doesn’t even have to look up to know that it’s Kuroo invading his side of the bed.

“What are you doing,” Kenma asks, still not looking over at the other man.

“I’m just watching you play.”

Kenma feels a bit shy, especially as Kuroo casually places an arm over his waist, as the taller man gets comfy. Kuroo gives a sigh of bliss. “I like holding you,” he says out loud, though softly enough that Kenma almost misses the words.

Feeling his heart skip a beat, Kenma continues his game, attempting to ignore the multiplying butterflies in his stomach. It’s a pretty futile effort though. He’s so distracted by having Kuroo around him. It’s like the man is completely filling up all his senses. Kuroo is warm, and smells like spices, and has strong arms. After a few minutes of not quite being able to focus, Kenma finally speaks up. “Alright Kuroo, I’m kicking you out.” There’s no response. “Kuroo?” Frustrated at being completely ignored, Kenma turns his head to send a glare. His expression quickly falls when he sees Kuroo’s face, now relaxed from sleeping. _Oh_. Kenma has always acknowledged that Kuroo is handsome, but right now, the older man looks so innocent and cute that it makes Kenma’s heart feel warm, and he has to resist mindlessly reaching out to brush his hand against the other’s cheek. The now trapped boy groans, realizing that he’s been defeated. Switching off his game, and turning off the bedside lamp, Kenma lies down to sleep. He hadn’t expected that this is how his night would end - to be fair, he hadn’t been expecting any of the events that had occurred tonight - but he finds that he can’t complain about his current predicament. This is...nice. And surprising himself, Kenma realizes that this is something he could get used to pretty easily.

* * *

It quickly becomes a thing for Kuroo to visit Kenma’s room at night, and for the two of them to hang out together until Kuroo ultimately passes out on Kenma’s bed after cuddling for a bit. This routine has been going on for a couple of days now, and tonight is no exception. Kuroo arrives, and makes himself comfortable. Kenma returns to his bed so that he can curl up and finish one last quest before going to sleep. Being used to Kenma’s introversion, Kuroo simply curls up behind Kenma, spooning the smaller boy as he watches the game’s progression on the handheld’s screen. Kenma shifts slightly so that he can be comfortable, but other than that, he doesn’t pay Kuroo much mind. The two fall into a comfortable silence. Kenma still can’t believe how easy it is to be around Kuroo. The only other people who he can tune out from like this are his dad and sister. How strange that Kuroo is somehow so easily slip past his guard and make himself at home within Kenma’s walls.

“Do you like wearing dresses,” Kuroo asks, seemingly out of the blue.

Kenma’s recoils a bit, surprised by such a random question. “I do,” he responds after a moment. “Is that a bad thing?”

He can feel Kuroo shake his head. “No. I actually think dresses suit you quite well.”

Kenma relaxes. “I’m not sure why I like wearing them… It just feels nice for some reason.”

Kuroo hums in response, pulling Kenma closer. “They look really good on you, you know?” Kuroo’s voice is low and…different somehow. Kenma can’t quite tell how. The closest word he can find to describe Kuroo’s tone is thick. As if laden with...Kenma’s not sure what. Something compels Kenma to turn to look at his Kuroo, but his eyebrows rise in surprise when he sees a hungry look on Kuroo’s face. Kenma has never seen that expression before. It’s fierce, and would probably be scary if it were anyone other than Kuroo looking at him. Kuroo who still somehow manages to convey awe and gentleness through his gaze despite everything else written in his expression. “You look really good, you know?” 

Kenma feels an unfamiliar stirring in his lower stomach. Is he…. Is he aroused? For most of his life, Kenma assumed that he was asexual, since no one had ever made him feel sexual desire. He had accepted that. And yet, here he is, feeling this craving awakening inside him. All thanks to Kuroo. It’s honestly a little frightening, the strange things that this man is able to make him feel. And yet, Kenma finds that he wants to explore whatever these feelings are.

“Kuroo,” he says, tasting the other’s name upon his lips. He didn’t expect for the single word to come out sounding so… needy. But that really is the perfect description of what Kenma is feeling. _I suppose this is what they call a sexual awakening_ , he thinks to himself. And yet he knows that it’s unlikely that anyone other than Kuroo could turn him on like this, much less be able to do it so easily.

Kuroo sighs, his breath tickling the skin on Kenma’s face. “I’m trying really hard to be a good boy right now,” Kuroo complains, an innocent pout upon his lips, even though the glint in his eyes says the complete opposite.

Kenma bites his lips, thinking about what it is he wants to do right now. But looking back up at Kuroo, he realizes that the answer is surprisingly simple.

Kenma looks down at his handheld, and hits the power button, making sure to save his game first, then turns off the light of his bedside lamp. Kuroo inhales sharply, and Kenma jumps, surprised.

“Is something wrong,” Kenma asks? He hasn’t even done anything yet, but is he already messing up?

Kuroo shakes his head. “You just… You look so beautiful, Kenma.”

“Because it’s dark now?”

“Because somehow you’re still so vibrant.”

Spurred on by those words, Kenma reaches out his hands towards Kuroo’s face to bring him in for a kiss. It’s just a peck, really, and it isn’t anything that they haven’t done before. But this time feels different somehow. Maybe because now this is just an appetizer. _Or maybe not_ , he thinks somewhat disappointedly as Kuroo pulls away. Ah, how did he screw up this time? But Kuroo doesn’t move very far, pulling away just enough to reach out his hand so he can brush his thumb against Kenma’s bottom lip.

“Kenma, say ah.”

A bit confused, Kenma obeys. Not that he has much choice, with Kuroo tugging on his lip like this anyways. _What on earth-_ Kuroo quickly crashes his mouth against Kenma, his tongue invading impatiently and somewhat aggressively. But it feels good. It feels _so_ good. Kenma can no longer ignore the hardening in his underwear. He tries to subtly grind against the mattress to gain some friction, in hopes that it can provide a bit of relief. Apparently he’s not too successful at being subtle. Kuroo pulls away again, a knowing smile teasing his face. Kenma can’t help but feel entranced as he watches the elder lick his lips, tasting the small sample that Kenma has given him. Practically on their own, Kenma’s hips press forward, this time grinding on Kuroo’s knee, which are now resting between his own legs. Why is just this making him feel so good, and yet leaving him wanting so much more? Wanting every last bit of Kuroo.

“God, when did I become such a simp?” he murmurs to himself.

Kuroo chuckles, and Kenma can see his mouth curve into a smile. “I wonder the same thing about myself,” Kuroo replies, burying his face in Kenma’s hair. His hands drift downwards, until they reach the bottom hem of Kenma’s nightgown. The smaller boy shivers, as Kuroo slips his hands underneath, feeling the curves of his thighs, stopping right at his hips, inches away from where Kenma wants him most. Kenma really can’t help himself as his hands move from Kuroo’s fluffy hair, to travel to the small of his back, tugging at Kuroo’s shirt, impatient to finally remove the rude pieces of clothing that separate them. Kuroo winces, shutting his eyes tightly.

“You’re going to have to tell me if you want to stop,” the black haired man says, practically panting. “Because if you don’t, I won’t be able to.” Kuroo opens his eyes so he can see Kenma’s response. When they make eye contact again, Kenma knows that he won’t want to stop. He’ll never want to let Kuroo go. These thoughts and feelings scare him a bit. They’re feelings that Kenma hadn’t even known he was capable of having until recently, and they’re so strong. But with Kuroo, it’s okay. This is okay. Right now, this is all he wants.

* * *

The next morning, Kenma is woken up rudely by the sunshine streaming through his windows. He forgot to close the blinds before bed last night. He shuts his eyes tightly, turning over to face away. Kuroo mumbles sleepy nonsense next to him, pulling Kenma closer towards his body. His still naked body. Kenma’s eyes shoot open as he recalls the wet touches and low moans from the previous night, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. Had he really made all that noise? But looking at Kuroo’s still sleeping face, his embarrassment is quickly replaced by strong affection. Kenma smiles softly to himself, as he reaches out a hand to caress the curves and angles of Kuroo’s face. Kuroo sighs, leaning into the touch.

“Good morning, princess,” he greets, without opening his eyes. Kenma recoils his hand away, feeling as if he’s just been caught doing something lecherous. Kuroo whines in response, and. with his eyes still closed, finds Kenma’s hand with his own and places it back upon his cheek, sighing when the innocent touch is back. “Did you sleep well?”

Kenma nods, then realizing that Kuroo can’t see him, whispers, “yeah”.

Kuroo smiles. “Good.” A brief pause. “I didn’t leave you too sore, did I?”

Kenma blushes as he shakes his head, this time too shy to use his words. Kuroo opens his eyes lazily when he doesn't hear anything. Kenma inhales sharply. “N-no,” he stutters. 

Kuroo smiles again, bringing his arms to wrap Kenma in a hug. “Good,” he repeats.

It’s so warm, and nice, and Kenma can’t help the happy little sigh that escapes his lips as he presses against Kuroo, snuggling closer for a bit more warmth. _I think I love you_.

“I love you too.”

Kenma pulls away sharply. “What?”

Kuroo cocks his head in confusion. “You said ‘I think I love you’. I said ‘I love you too’.”

Kenma feels heat rise to his cheeks as he looks anywhere he can except at Kuroo’s face. “I said that out loud?”

Kuroo chuckles as his response to the rhetorical question. “I love you, Kenma,” he repeats in a whisper. “So much.” His heart is racing so quickly, and Kenma prays silently that Kuroo doesn’t feel how hard his heart is pounding right now. Kenma brings his hands to his face, attempting to hide his quickly reddening cheeks. Kuroo hums, opting to brush Kenma’s hair with his hands instead of teasing the blond boy - a small mercy that Kenma is very grateful for.

“I love you,” Kenma says again softly after a few minutes. Not sure if Kuroo can hear his words muffled by his hands, he lowers them down slightly just enough to see over his fingertips, looking for any visual hint that he was heard.

Kuroo leans forward to kiss the crown of his head. “I know, princess.” Kenma breathes out happily as Kuroo nuzzles his nose into the brown roots of his hair. “I love you too.”

* * *

The day that Kenma is set to leave comes much too quickly. He’s holding Kuroo’s hand, as they look down at the courtyard through a large window. Kenma’s luggage is at this moment being packed away, and in just a few minutes, Kenma will be gone. Kenma squeezes Kuroo’s hand, holding back tears, because he had decided days ago that he’s _not_ leaving Kuroo with anything but happy memories.

“What if we just got married?” Kenma jumps, sure that he misheard the words that tumbled from Kuroo’s lips. But one look at the elder man tells him that he had heard correctly the first time. Kuroo looks at him with sad but hopeful eyes, and it’s all Kenma can do to turn his face away before his tears’ dams break.

“You know we can't,” he replies simply.

They stand there, silently squeezing each other’s hands until at last the time comes for Kenma to depart.

“I love you,” Kuroo whispers as Kenma turns to leave. Unable to look back, knowing the broken expression that his face would betray, Kenma simply continues walking, deciding that it’s best to leave it at that. Saying the words back would only make this goodbye even more painful.

It’s time for him to go home. And the next time he sees Kuroo, in just a week, the Northern prince would be getting married to his sister.


	4. Chapter 4

The trip home somehow feels longer. With each bump of the road, Kenma feels the distance between him and Kuroo growing larger. He wants to cry, but the ache Kenma feels right now seems to choke his tears, preventing them from spilling. Kenma considers calling Kuroo, the two having exchanged phone numbers some time ago, but eventually decides against the idea. If Kuroo is to be his brother-in-law then this relationship has to stop. Kenma has to get over the only man he’s ever loved. Left alone with his thoughts and nothing to provide comfort, this trip ends up feeling very long indeed.

* * *

After bathing off the grime from traveling, Kenma plans to spend the rest of the day in his room doing nothing, because he doubts even playing a new game will provide much solace. But as he stands in his childhood bedroom, he can’t help but feel out of place.

Home. 

That’s what he had been looking forward to for so long. But when did that word come to mean a person instead of a physical place. Kenma crouches down, folding in on himself, and this time, he can’t stop the tears from falling. Kenma can’t remember the last time he cried. Maybe when his mother had died when he was young. The last time he had lost someone important to him.

There’s a sudden pounding at his door. “KENMA!” The prince winces. Can’t he have just a bit of time to himself? Why does Koma have to bother him now, of all times? The most effective tactic for avoiding his sister is typically to just ignore her. She’ll leave if she doesn't get a response, right? Maybe that would have worked if Kenma had remembered to lock his door when he came in.

The door is shoved open with a bang, and Koma storms in as if this is her room. How she manages to look so fierce while using crutches to move herself, Kenma isn’t quite sure. Nevertheless, her presence alone is enough to make him feel the need to cower. 

“How dare you not come see me as soon as you get home! Why I outta-” Koma pauses mid-rant. “Why are you crying,” she asks, awkward compassion slipping into her tone.

Kenma wipes his face with his wrist. “It’s nothing,” he lies. He’s never been a very good liar, though, especially when it came to his twin, who probably knows him better than anybody. Although maybe Kuroo had taken that title. Kenma winces at the thought.  _ I have to forget him _ .

“You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

Kenma flinches enough to fall backwards onto the floor. He looks up at his sister. “What are you talking about?”

Koma rolls her eyes. “You didn’t even cry when I broke your new Z-Square.”

“ _ You _ broke my Z-Square?!”

Koma waves one of her crutches at his face threateningly. “That’s beside the point here. I highly doubt that you’re crying because the Northern Kingdom was  _ that _ great. What, was the prince a giant nerd like you?”

Kenma scrunches his eyebrows in a glare, but he doesn’t have the energy to argue right now.

“Can we drop this,” Kenma pleads.

“No because this is the first time you’ve ever liked someone and I need all the details about your future hubby.”

He snaps. “Can we not do this?” he shouts, rare anger filling his veins, replacing the despair that had just been there. “Okay, I fell in love. Great! Can you not rub it in? He’s not my future hubby; he’s yours! Now get out and go prepare for your wedding.” He turns to look away from his sister, who’s now sighing in response.

“I don’t even want to marry Kuroo!” She says slowly. “Especially not if you like him, because that must mean he’s a giant nerd.” Kenma turns to snap again. “I want to marry Yachi.” Kenma’s jaw drops, his planned rebuttal silenced. He knew that his sister was never particularly fond of the idea of marrying the Northern prince - seriously, who would want to be forced into a marriage to a stranger? - but he had never known that his sister had been in love with someone else this whole time, much less a woman.

“I didn’t know you liked girls,” Kenma responds lamely.

Koma scoffs. “Like you’re one to talk,” she snaps, referring all too clearly to Kenma’s own gay love. She rolls her eyes before continuing. “Anyways, if you want Kuroo then please, by all means, take him. We just need someone from our kingdom to marry him, right? I don’t see why it can’t be you.”

“It’s not that easy,” Kenma mumbles.

“Why? Because of some stupid, heterosexual promise made by a bunch of dead people?”

“Yes! That’s exactly why!”

A sigh escapes from Koma’s lips, once again. “Listen. There will be more Southern princesses, and more Northern princes. But there won’t be another Kuroo. So come on. Go get your man. I’m not going to marry him, no matter what.  _ I’m _ choosing to do what I want to do. And I think you should too.”

Kenma opens his mouth to argue, but quickly closes it. Because he can’t find anything to say. His stubborn sister already decided to marry someone else. It would be awful if the wedding has to be completely canceled, right? Kenma shakes his head. No, what would be awful would be...if he weren’t willing to do everything he can to be with Kuroo. Because if he doesn’t take this chance when his sister hands it to him on a silver platter, he knows that this will be the single, greatest regret of his life. Plus, he is still a prince of the Southern Kingdom. And he is the same age as Koma, so there isn’t anything about hereditary status that could be an issue. The only things that might present a problem would be if anyone has an issue with two princes marrying each other, or waiting a few more generations to complete an old promise. There are probably going to be people who will try to get in their way. But just thinking of Kuroo. Kuroo saying his name. Kuroo holding him. Kuroo... Kenma balls his hands into fist, making his decision. 

This is something that he’ll fight for. He stands up to leave his room, pausing to thank Koma. She smiles in response, and whacks him on the back with one of her crutches.

“Go get ‘em.”

With those words of encouragement, and with all the courage he can muster, Kenma walks to his father’s royal office. 

The office door is slightly ajar, signaling that his father is inside and available, so Kenma walks in before he can second guess himself. Daichi looks up, with a warm and welcoming expression.

“Hey kiddo,” the king greets. “Glad to see you’re back! I was just about to check in on you actually” Kenma swallows, despite the fact that his mouth suddenly feels dry. He can’t look his dad in the eyes anymore, feeling so nervous that he has to look away. “Is everything okay?” Daichi asks gently, his expression contorting into one of worry.

This is it. “I… I need to tell you something.”

Daichi nods. “Go for it,” he responds, trying to sound nonchalant. “Wanna sit down?”

Kenma gratefully takes a seat, still unable to make eye contact with his dad. He explains how he had done his best to pretend to be Koma, but had gotten found out by Kuroo anyways. How he and Kuroo had fallen in love with each other. How Kuroo had asked to marry him but Kenma had had to deny him with tears. And how he really wishes he could be the one to walk down the aisle in a week.

“I’m fine with it,” Daichi shrugs. “As long as you're happy, I don’t really care.”

Kenma’s jaw drops. This was too easy. It can’t possibly be this easy can it?

Daichi notices the look on his son’s face, and takes a moment to think a bit more deeply, his chin resting in the palm of his hand. “If everyone in the Northern Kingdom is okay with this, then I don’t see an issue. The one barrier I can foresee is if they believe this goes against the original deal, since it had specified a Southern princess.” Daichi shrugged. “But times change. Hopefully now, it’s on our side.”

* * *

Within the next few hours, Daichi is able to get in contact with Ushijima, and schedule an urgent meeting for the following day. And since they’re on a pretty tight time crunch, Daichi allows the use of one of the palace limos even though it isn’t quite as traditional. Kenma doesn’t care very much about the reasoning; he’s happy that there would be no rickety bumps on this journey.

As he, Daichi, and Lev board the car, Koma waves them goodbye. “Have fun~” she calls out, wiggling her eyebrows at Kenma. It’s more likely that she’ll be the one having any fun, but Kenma returns the farewell with a wave of his own regardless. The door shuts behind him, and in less than 2 hours of smooth driving, Kenma is once again at the Northern Kingdom. Everything looks just as it had when he left. Has it really only been just a couple of days? Everything right now is happening so quickly, and yet Kenma feels as if years have been shaven from his lifespan.

“Are you ready?”

He’s pulled out of his thoughts by Daichi’s question. Kenma doesn’t think he can ever fully prepare himself for whatever is about to happen. Nevertheless, he nods. Because this is something he has to do. Daichi returns his tiny nod with a large, supportive smile, before stepping out of the car. Lev holds up a thumbs up before following suit. Taking one last, calming breath, Kenma finally emerges from the vehicle, stepping onto the ground of the Northern Kingdom’s courtyard, for the first time as a prince.

The trio is led into the palace, and is greeted by the royal family in the foyer, a familiar scene for Kenma. But there’s so much that’s different now. He takes it all in, feeling as if he’s for the very first time all over again. His eyes eventually land on Kuroo, and upon making eye contact, Kenma’s heart immediately flutters. Especially seeing a rare blush and expression of shock upon the Northern prince’s face.

Ushijima is the first to move forward, greeting Daichi with a firm handshake and leading everyone to one of the large doorways where the meeting hall lies. Everyone exchanges pleasantries, as they walk, except for Kenma. It’s all he can do to not drop his posture, instead opting to keep his eyes to the floor, as he follows behind everyone. He only glances up when he notices someone slowing down to walk beside him.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” a familiar voice greets. Kenma can’t help the beaming smile that spreads onto his face. Kuroo visibly pauses for a moment before returning the expression with a grin of his own. “Dad told me we had a meeting with the South, but even he doesn’t know what it’s about. Do you?”

Kenma nods quietly. “Um, y-yeah. I thought about what you said, a-and I talked with my sister and….if this all goes well, I want to marry you….” Kenma feels his face flush as his brain begins to imagine all of the ways Kuroo might reject him right now. Instead, the older prince subtly grabs Kenma’s hand, giving it a light squeeze.

“Quite literally nothing would make me happier.” Kenma looks up at Kuroo’s warm expression, giving a small shy smile in response. Kuroo looks around to check for any eyes looking their way, before he leans down to whisper in Kenma’s ears, “You look really good in a suit, by the way.” Kenma pulls his hand away from Kuroo’s to cover his  _ very _ warm cheeks. He doesn’t have to look up to know that the other man has a devilish smile on his face, and the laugh that soon follows only confirms that. Suddenly Kenma is pulled into a tight hug. “I missed you.”

Kenma wiggles in Kuroo’s tight grip, frantically turning to see for himself if anyone is looking. “Wait, Kuroo! Not yet. We have the meeting.” Kuroo pouts, but nods, releasing Kenma begrudgingly as he gives a loud sigh. “But hopefully soon,” Kenma continues, giving one last quip of his lips to Kuroo, before running to catch up with the others. It takes Kuroo a moment to catch up to him, but Kenma doesn’t miss the slight red on the elder’s face. Feeling a sense of pride, Kenma at last feels hopeful that everything will be okay.

* * *

“No,” King Ushijima says firmly, beginning to rise from his seat at the head of the table. Lev has just finished explaining the predicament - in his usual brief and dry fashion - but with this reaction, things are already off to a bad start. “Absolutely not. You  _ lie _ to me for a month, and then come here expecting me to allow my son to marry yours? Absolutely not. The wedding will continue as planned with your daughter - and you should be thanking me for even allowing that - and that is my final decision.”

Kenma sinks into his seat, feeling his panic rising. This is not at all what he envisioned during his positive mindset practice on the way here. What could he do-

Kuroo suddenly stands up from his seat beside Kenma. The blond prince looks up, expecting to see a look of anger. But Kuroo’s expression is cold and unreadable. This is a Kuroo he’s never seen before.

“ _ You _ , dad, can do whatever you want,” the Northern prince speaks in an even tone that sends a shiver down Kenma’s back. “But  _ I _ am marrying a prince, whether you like it or not. Now the question is, how are you going to hold a wedding if the to-be groom isn’t present?”

Ushijima looks like he’s about to blow a fuse, his face contorting in one of rage. His wife places her hand on his shoulders and shoots a look at the other four men at the table.

_ I’ll talk to him _ , her eyes seem to say.

The men look amongst themselves, and then almost in unison, rise up and walk out of the room. Kenma can’t help the slump of his shoulders, but he quickly perks up feeling a hand on his back. He looks, and visibly relaxes upon seeing that it’s just Kuroo who’s touching him.

“It’ll all be okay, love,” the elder says, moving his hand in calming rubbing motions up and down Kenma’s back.

Kenma nods, choosing to believe those words, desperately hoping that they’ll come true.

* * *

Time seems to pass by so slowly for Kenma - something that seems to be happening a lot these days - as he sits with the other men in one of the castle’s many parlors. The slow passage of the ticking minutes does nothing to help calm his nerves. He just can’t stop shaking. Lev and Daichi are frantically discussing in the opposite corner of the room, completely unaware of the panicking prince. But Kuroo notices, as he always does when Kenma is involved, and wraps his arms around him. It takes a few moments, but eventually, Kenma is able to ease into the tight embrace. And like that, they stay there until they’re finally called back to the meeting room nearly an hour later. 

King Ushijima and Queen Kiyoko are sitting there waiting silently, as if nothing serious had even occurred. That changes as soon as everyone is seated, when Ushijima gives a deep sigh.

“After a conversation with my wife,” the king begins. Underneath the table, Kuroo squeezes Kenma’s hand in a silent expression of support. “I’ve decided that I will allow this union.” 

Kenma isn’t normally a very expressive person, but even he can’t help the squeal he makes, followed by a large grin toward Kuroo. His lips soon turn into an o, though, as he lets out a soft gasp. Kuroo is giving him one of those rare, gentle smiles, filled with so much tender love, without any of his typical joking attitude. Kenma can’t help but return one of his own, as he squeezes Kuroo’s hand, still intertwined with his own.

“However,” Ushijima continues, turning to face Daichi, “your  _ actual _ daughter’s child will be the heir to the unified kingdom.”

Daichi clears his throat awkwardly. “That might be a bit...complicated...” he says in a near whisper.

“Koma has a girlfriend,” Kenma supplies in his usual deadpan manner.

Ushijima’s face changes into confusion. “Then how will we produce an heir?”

“Adoption?” Lev suggests.

“Sperm donation?” Daichi adds.

“Have Shoyo inherit the throne since he’s actually straight and is also your son, despite being so-called illegitimate?” Everyone turns to face Kuroo, who shrugs and looks at the table without remorse. “I’m just saying.” Kiyoko silently turns to face her husband with concern on her face, questions written so clearly on her face that they could be read one by one like a written list. “I think Shoyo could actually be a good king,” Kuroo continues, turning to face the Northern monarchs directly. “He cares about his people, and I think his occasional goofiness is largely outweighed by his honesty and charisma.” He turns towards his stepmother. “Besides, aren’t you from the South, anyways? Maybe you weren’t born royalty. But now, you are a queen who was born in the South. As far as I see it, you and dad have already fulfilled that old promise.”

Everyone at the table begins to mutter. Well, everyone except Kenma. He’s staring in awe at Kuroo. This is… How had none of them seen this loophole? This is it. This is the solution! Despite being such a demon child most of the time, Kuroo is surprisingly good at brainstorming and communicating. He’s a natural born leader, and even if he doesn’t become an official king, Kenma really hopes that his skills won’t go unseen by the world.

Ushijima strokes his chin in thought. “I think...that might just work.” He nods firmly after carefully considering the idea for a few minutes. “It’s decided then.” Kenma’s heart is pounding hard. This is it! “Kuroo and Kenma will be wed. And Shoyo will be appointed as the heir to Miyagi.”

Within the hour, they write up the agreements, and everyone happily signs their approval.

* * *

“How are you feeling, princess?” Kuroo purrs, burying his face into Kenma’s hair. 

It’s a few hours after their meeting with the two kingdoms. The two princes are currently spooning on Kuroo’s bed, for once, since Kenma’s old guestroom here was cleaned out immediately after he had left). Kenma is playing a video game, per usual, while Kuroo dutifully plays his role as the big spoon, though the Southern prince’s fingers quickly pause from pressing the buttons on his console. Kenma gives a small smile. 

“I feel happy,” he responds quietly.

Kuroo smiles. “Good.” His fingers brush through the smooth strands of Kenma’s hair. “Is there anything I can do to make you happier?” Kenma pauses from his game again, noticing a subtle sadness in Kuroo’s voice. He turns his head to look at the taller man. 

“No,” he answers confidently. Kuroo releases a sigh, nuzzling his face into Kenma’s hair. If someone had asked Kenma a few weeks ago if he’s okay with receiving a hug, Kenma would have given them a look of half wariness, half warning. And yet, here he is now, being cuddled almost 24/7 by a man who looks so cool and suave, and yet is also somehow an absolute baby. But Kenma has to admit, he quite enjoys it (probably a bit too much), as long as it’s Kuroo who was spooning him. How times have changed.

“I’ll keep doing my best,” Kuroo whispers softly, squeezing Kenma against him just a little bit more tightly. “I’ll make sure that you’ll never regret marrying me.”

Kenma places down his game console before rolling over completely so that he can hug Kuroo back. “Did something happen?” He feels Kuroo tremble in his arms, and pulls away a bit to try and see the other’s face. His heart falls when he sees tears running down Kuroo’s face. “Kuroo?” he calls with urgency in his voice.

Kuroo doesn’t respond just yet, instead pulling Kenma back close to him and hugging him tightly. “I’m okay,” he croaks. “I just… I thought I lost you. And I’m so happy and lucky to have you. I never want to see you leave, ever again.”

How can Kenma explain that  _ he _ is the one who’s lucky? Kuroo who accepts him wearing dresses and skirts. Kuroo who doesn’t mind sitting in silence with him for hours. Kuroo who brings all of these emotions out of him, and stands firmly by Kenma’s side as he learns what they all mean. Kuroo who’s here now, holding Kenma in his arms, crying because they had almost been separated.

Kenma rubs his hand up and down Kuroo’s back, in what he hopes is a soothing manner. He’s still a bit (maybe more than a bit) awkward when it comes to comforting people, but he’ll make every effort to comfort Kuroo, however he can. Not quite sure what the best words to say are, Kenma simply whispers the words that feel most true. “I love you.” Kuroo pulls him closer. “I’m glad I’m with you.” A sigh, releasing tension. “I’d trade my video games if it kept me from losing you.”

Kuroo chuckles quietly. “That’s a pretty big commitment,” he teases.

Kenma gives a small smile, tightening his grip on Kuroo in a silent response. “It’s almost on par with getting married for me, you know?”

Kuroo hums in a low pitch, pulling away so he can look into Kenma’s amber colored eyes with his own, his expression still somewhat serious. Kenma reaches out his hands to smooth out the tension in his eyebrows, and to wipe away the traces of tears on his cheeks. Kuroo sighs, leaning into the touch, practically purring in response. “I promise to make you the happiest man alive. So happy that you’ll never regret marrying me. I’ll try my hardest every single day. I promise.”

Kenma smiles softly. “You mean  _ you’re _ not the happiest man alive right now?” he asks teasingly.

Kuroo blushes, left flabbergasted and speechless, a rare sight that Kenma decides should become a more frequent occurrence. “I… I…”

Kenma can’t hold back a quiet laugh. “Let’s just both promise to do our best for each other, okay?” Kuroo nods. “And,” Kenma continues, with a more serious expression, “I promise that I will never regret marrying you. Honestly I feel so lucky to have you.” Kenma wonders to himself when he did he become someone who speaks so openly like this. He still feels shy though, and can’t help looking away from Kuroo briefly because did he really just say something so cheesy? And yet, they’re all true words spoken from his heart. The strange things that Kuroo does to him. Things that he used to be unable to imagine, and things that he now treasures with each passing moment. “I love you,” he repeats softly.

“I love you too.” Kuroo leans forward and places a tender kiss on Kenma’s forehead, conveying all that he’s feeling that words can’t quite express. “My princess.”


End file.
